Woman Crush Wednesday: Halima Aden

The fashion shows of the latest weeks made history, and they will hardly be forgotten. In today’s complicated political and social times, that seem to be getting more and more hostile towards minorities, the fashion world, normally considered ever so frivolous, actually played an incredible role and was of great inspiration. This unexpected surprise on the part of the fashion world over the last few days had great impact, and showed that all are equal on the catwalk, and that there is no discrimination based on gender and religion. The symbol of all of this is Halima Aden, a 19-year-old model who was born in Kenya but is now an American citizen. What is unusual about her is that she is a devout Muslim, meaning she wears hijab on the catwalks, too. Last year, she took part in the Miss Minnesota pageant in a burkini, and last week, she was on the catwalk in her hijab for Kanye West’s Yeezy Season 5, and she made her European debut in Milan, thanks to Alberta Ferretti and Max Mara.
Let’s take one more step back into time now, because the young African model is not only a proud Muslim, she is also the survivor of a very difficult, challenging childhood, since she ended up in a refugee camp at only 6. Some people can fall into a black pit of sadness when they find themselves in this kind of situation, others get fortified, growing wiser than their actual age. This was Halima’s case. With her beauty, with her deep, soulful eyes and her slender body, she became a model for so many Muslim women, and not only. Her message is loud and clear: there is space for everyone! Halima is attending Saint Cloud State University in Minnesota, and she can’t wait for graduation day, one of the most important days in her life. In the meantime, the world admires her, begging her not to leave the catwalks. Her agency, New York’s IMG Models, which also represents other top models such as Gigi and Bella Hadid and Elsa Hosk, foresees a bright future for this beautiful Kenyan. So, it doesn’t really matter whether fashion is going to be just a phase in her life, because our WCW has already left a mark in this world. We really would like to thank Halima, and all the others who contributed to bringing this message of solidarity and equality.